Chapter Six: A Return to the Haunted House

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Grandfather ignored me and continued chanting some words I couldn’t understand.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The coffin shook violently, then with a loud bang, it burst open, and a human head rolled out.

A translucent figure appeared above the coffin—it was Huang Ying.

“Go stand under the sun and see,” she said.

Even with my limited knowledge, I knew ghosts couldn’t bear the light; the last few times Huang Ying appeared, it was always in the shade.

Huang Ying examined her body briefly, then half in disbelief, reached her hand into a patch of sunlight.

“Ah…” At first, surprise, then joy. “I… I’m not afraid of the light anymore.”

She hadn’t seen the sun in decades, and now she eagerly rushed into the sunlight, wearing a knowing smile.

She actually smiled—that was the first time in decades.

No wonder people say laughter is the most beautiful language in the world—I believed it now because her smile was truly beautiful!

After lingering under the sunlight for several minutes, she reluctantly returned under the eaves.

“Thank you, you’ve saved me twice now!” Huang Ying looked at my grandfather with wide eyes.

Grandfather waved his hand, saying, “It was nothing.”

Then he picked up his pipe and began smoking again.

Grandfather really knows how to put on a show… I curled my lips disdainfully.

“Thank you, too!” Huang Ying came over to me and whispered.

“No need,” I waved my hand as well, but the effect was completely different from grandfather’s.

“Actually, I didn’t do much to help you, but from now on, you’ll be by my side,” I said with a smile.

Her face instantly flushed to her ears.

I thought about it; it was just a fact, nothing special. She must be too conservative. If she saw all those cheesy lines from idol dramas, I wouldn’t know how she’d react!

Afterward, I carefully picked up her head. The small coffin was broken to pieces, and since I didn’t know where to put it, I placed it in my room.

Then grandfather made a small box for her soul to dwell in, about the size of two fists.

Grandmother came out of the room, saw Huang Ying, and was only briefly surprised, showing no other reaction. Yet grandfather frowned slightly when he looked at grandmother.

After dinner, I hurried to my room carrying the box with Huang Ying inside.

Just thinking about having such a beautiful lady ghost by my side made me incredibly excited.

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“Huang Ying, are you sleepy?” I asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I’m not sleepy.”

“Oh…”

Honestly, I wished she would say she was tired so we could naturally lie down together.

“I’ll sleep first,” I said, placing her small box by my pillow without asking her permission. I guessed her face must have turned even redder than before.

Having such a beautiful ghost nearby, I quickly fell asleep, no longer afraid of the white satin ghost.

With two powerful protectors beside me—my grandfather and Huang Ying—it was the first time I had slept so soundly since coming to the countryside.

Early the next morning, grandfather woke me up. I took the box with Huang Ying outside. Grandfather smoked his pipe and said, “Go when your uncle calls you. I have something to discuss with them.”

Seeing grandfather so secretive, I guessed it had to do with the old house.

After breakfast, I wandered around with Huang Ying. Since I saw how much she loved the sunlight, I decided to bring her out more often.

She followed me like a newborn, watching everything around her with wide eyes.

Seeing her smile made me feel very satisfied. Good and evil can be separated by just a thought. If I hadn’t promised to help her back then, in her eyes I’d be no different from those who bullied her.

We didn’t speak much on the way; she admired the scenery, and I did too, sneaking glances at her from time to time.

We returned at noon. Her form remained ethereal; staying outside too long wasn’t good.

After lunch, I called my uncles over to grandfather’s house.

“Second uncle, is there something wrong?” My uncle called grandfather “Second uncle.”

He was one of the only two men in the village between eighteen and sixty years old. He was blind in one eye, reportedly blinded by flying stones in a coal mine accident.

“Tonight, gather all the men in the village and bring them here. Bring all the dogs, and have the women keep the cats indoors—don’t let them out.”

Grandfather gave brief instructions. Surprisingly, my uncle didn’t ask why. It was as if he already knew what to do.

That evening, my uncle arrived with six other elders, seven dogs, and twelve roosters at grandfather’s place.

Grandfather led me, Huang Ying, and the six men toward the old house.

“That thing has returned!” Grandfather said as we walked. The “thing” he referred to was likely the entity in the cellar.

Hearing this, my uncle and others were momentarily stunned but showed no strong reaction.

We stopped outside the old house. Inside was pitch dark. Huang Ying looked at the house with a dazed expression. Decades ago, this place was a den of evil for her.

I patted her shoulder but realized I couldn’t touch her; her body could only interact with things without souls, so my hand passed straight through her.

Since I couldn’t touch her, I could only communicate with words.

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“It’s all in the past now,” I whispered.

She snapped out of her trance but still looked full of hatred toward the old house.

The house felt eerie. Although there was no wind outside, strange gusts whispered within.

“Let’s send a dog in first,” grandfather said.

Old Wu from the village grunted and loosened the leash. The dog dashed toward the old house.

Dogs and roosters are the least afraid of ghosts—humans can’t compare. The dog slowed the closer it got to the house, barking wildly at first, then suddenly sitting motionless at the doorstep.

In the sudden silence, the dog abruptly stood, as if seeing something terrifying, and ran frantically toward us holding our torches, emitting a mournful howl.

Strangely, the other leashed dogs didn’t make a sound. Usually, if one dog barks, all the village dogs join in. This behavior was very abnormal.

The frightened dog circled around the group, howling and scratching the ground furiously, soon carving deep grooves into the earth.

“She’s inside. Second uncle, what should we do?” my uncle asked grandfather.

Feeling the tense atmosphere, I couldn’t help but grow nervous. I reached out to hold Huang Ying’s hand for comfort, but my hand passed through hers.

Huang Ying saw my action. When I tried to hold her, she looked very anxious. After my hand passed through, a look of loneliness, desolation, and disappointment washed over her face.

Grandfather lowered his head, took a couple of drags from his pipe, then looked up at me and said, “You go see.”

I glanced around—no one else was there, just a ghost.

“Me?” I pointed to my nose uncertainly.

“Yes, you. Go check it out.”

“Grandfather... I...” If I weren’t still clear-headed, I’d think I misheard him.

Such a dangerous task—why would grandfather send me? Even the dogs went crazy; I’d probably be scared to death! I don’t think my courage is greater than a dog’s.

But then I thought, wouldn’t it be just as dangerous for others? One shouldn’t be selfish, especially since I’m the youngest here.

I stepped forward, Huang Ying following.

“Don’t go!” I said. From her voice, I sensed she wasn’t an opponent to the woman in white satin. How could I let her go?

“You don’t have to. He’ll be fine,” grandfather also stopped her.

The men all looked at Huang Ying. Grandfather had told them her story, so they weren’t surprised or afraid to see her ethereal form.

Under so many gazes, Huang Ying’s expression turned cold and sharp. Besides grandfather and me, she still harbored hostility toward everyone else.

Huang Ying hesitated but nodded slightly, standing back. She trusted my grandfather more.

I cautiously stepped toward the old house’s door, moving slowly to avoid making noise that might awaken whatever was inside.

Finally standing outside, it felt like a century had passed. Sweat soaked through my clothes.

Inside was pitch black; I saw nothing.

“Go further inside!” grandfather shouted from behind.

I really didn’t dare. Going in any further might scare me to death. I felt a helpless urge to cry. What’s gotten into grandfather today?

I shook my head vigorously at him.

Suddenly, a green light flashed and landed on the ground.

Two eyes stared at me. I was terrified—truly terrified! I could barely stand.

!!